Amos Lee - Mountains Of Sorrow, Rivers Of Song

Here is what I thought of Amos Lee's new album, “Mountains Of Sorrow, Rivers Of Song.” Remember all scores are out of a possible 10.

“Johnson Blvd” - I really enjoy the tone of Amos' voice. I did the country/blues vibe of this song – and the lyrics are pretty sensational.  Score: 9

“Stranger” - Once again, I liked the tone of Amos' voice, but this track just didn't excite me. Score: 5

“Tricksters, Hucksters, and Scamps” - A fun number – bouncy and light. At first I got a bluegrass feel, but then I quickly got more of a New Orleans vibe from this track. A toe tapper, but not really a standout. Score: 6

“Chill In The Air” - A very nice ballad. I don't want to pigeonhole Amos, but I love when he showcases his voice – and he does that very well on this track. Score: 8

“Dresser Drawer” - I will classify this one as a lullaby as it lulled me to sleep. It does an artist no good to bore me. Score: 3

“Indonesia” - At first I liked this track – it felt like an easy song to wake up to in the morning, but then as it went on I lost interest. It just kind of drifted off. Score: 4

“High Water” - A mid tempo rocker that is heavy with groove. I dug the distortion of Amos' voice and I love the rhythm. Score: 8

“The Man Who Wants You” - A more upbeat rock/blues kind of song. Nice lyrics and nice rhythms. Just felt a tad short. Score: 7

“Loretta” - A mid tempo love song that has swagger. I love how Amos sings the name Loretta – he just gave it an extra punch. Score: 7

“Plain View” - Um, no. I just really did not dig this track – at all. The old-timey effect put on Amos' voice annoyed me to no end. Filler – nothing more. Score: 1

“Mountains Of Sorrow” - A very nice ballad. I enjoyed the music, the harmonies and how straight-forward the track played out. Very nice.    Score: 8

“Burden” - Another ballad that bordered on boring, but Amos' voice saved it for me. Lyrics are nice and I like how the music flowed. Score: 6

“Scared Money” - THIS! Yes – this track is what I love! An immense amount of soul and Amos was able to let his voice do all the work. Love love love this bluesy/soul song! Score: 10

“Charles St” - Meh. I liked the lyrics, but this slow tempo bored me. Score: 5

“Lowdown Life” - A fabulous blues song dripping with excellent vocals and deep lyrics. This one really got through to me. Score: 10

Average Track Score: 6.5 Not a bad score. Not a bad album. Would I buy this album? I probably would just for the blues songs alone.

Escalader,

Jim